Method of folding the ends of a fabric band over the end shoulders of a tire building drum



Feb. 16, 1954 Original Filed June 14, 1944 W. METHOD OF FOLDING TH THE END SHOULDER J. BRETH E ENDS OF A FA S OF A TIRE BU BRIC BAND OVE ILDING DRUM 4 Sheets-Sheet l l |NvENToR WALTER J. BRETH BY www? ATTORNEYS Feb. 16, 1954 THE END SHOULD original Filed June 14, 1944 W. J. BRE METHOD OF' FOLDING THE ENDS TH OF' A FAB ERS OF A TIRE BUI RIC BAND OVER LDING DRUM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WALTER J. BRETH ATTORNEYS Feb. 16, 1954 W, 1 BRETH 2,669,281

METHOD OF FOLDING THE ENDS OF A FABRIC BAND OVER THE END SHOULDERS OF' A TIRE BUILDING DRUM @fn-am 'l/amm@ v L t ,f Y

v M g Q L im: INVENTOR WALTER J. BRETH ATTORNEYS W. J. BRETH Feb. 16, 1954 2,669,281 ND OVER DRUM METHOD OF` FOLDING THE ENDS OF A FABRIC BA THE END SHOULDERS OF' A TIRE BUILDING Original Filed June 14, 1944 4 Sheets-Shea?I 4 INVENTOR WALTER J. BRETH ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16, 1954 OFFICE METHOD OF FOLDING THE ENDS AOF A FABRIC BAND OVER THE END SHOUL- 1 DERS 0F A TIRE BUILDING DRUM Walter J. Breth, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The General Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio I Original application June 14, 1944, Serial No.

540,306, now Patent No. 2,455,038, dated November 30, 1948. January 13, 1951,

This invention relates to ak method of folding the ends of a fabric band radially inwardly over the end shoulders of a tire building drum, and is a division of my copending application Serial No. 540,306, filed June 14, 1944, now Patent No.

2,455,038, issued November 30, 1948.

The method of the present invention is directed to the folding of the ends of a tube of fabric formed on a tire building drum and projecting radially beyond an end of the drum to provide an inwardly extending fabric ange to which a tire bead may be applied. The end of the tube projecting beyond the end of the drum upon which the tube is placed is folded inwardly without application of pressure to any portion thereof that is in engagement with the drum by positioning a ring of fabric engaging elements around the projecting end of the drum and beyond the end of the drum and then moving the engaging elements simultaneously radially inwardly past l the end of the drum along lines spaced outwardly 4.from the end of the drum to contract the tube end while leaving the portion of the tube over1y- `ing the end of the drum free to accommodate itself to the shrinkage of the fabric so that the I mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line indicated at 4-4 in Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary, vertical, axial sections on an enlarged scale, illustrating the f operation of a folding device that can be used advantageously in practicing the method of the ,present invention. Fig. 5 shows in dotted lines the original retracted and contracted position of the fabric folding ring, and in full lines shows n. the ring expanded to a diameter greater than that .of the drum. Fig. 6 shows the fabric folding ring in dotted lines moved axially inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 5 to a position over- ;lylng the projecting edge of the fabric band D.,

Divided and this application Serial No. 205,901

z claims. (01.151444) and in full lines yshows the ring contracted and I the fabric folded over the end of the drum.

. 25 bead receiving fabric flange overlying the end of The tire building machine in which the flange forming device has been employed consists of a centrally disposed, collapsible tire building drum A which may be of the usual and conventional construction, a stationary bead building head B and a movable bead building head C, which serve toapply the bead rings to fabric at the ends of the drum and to shape the bead portions of the tire, the arrangement being similar to that disclosed in my Patent No. 2,313,035, granted March 9, 1943. Since the mechanisms on the two heads B and C are identical, except for certain details of the operating and control devices, the mechanism of the stationary head B is illustrated (comactuating andcontrol mechanism of the head B is` mounted within a housing 2 having vertical inner and outer and side walls. The drum A, which is composed of collapsible segments, is

, supported on a shaft 3 and a sleeve 4 on the shaft 3, the segments of the drum being connected by suitable links to the sleeve and shaft so as to be expanded or collapsed by relative rotary move- ,ments of the sleeve and shaft. Since this construction is conventional for tire building drums, the linkage is not herein illustrated.

The supporting shaft 3 is mountedr in bearings 5 and 6 in the inner and outer walls of the housing 2, and has intertting engagement with an `axially aligned shaft 7 on the movable head C. The shaft 311s driven by an electric motor 8 mounted on the base I, the shaft 3 being connected to the motor 8 through sprocket chains I0 and I I and an interposed reduction gearing in a housing I2, the reduction gearing being driven by the motor through the chain I 0 and the shaft 3 being driven from the reduction gearing through the chain II. In order to cause relative rotation of the shaft 3 and sleeve 4 to collapse the drum, an air brake I3 is connected by a sprocket chain I4 to the sleeve 4. Upon application of the brake I3, the Sleeve 4 is held against rotation, whereupon continued rotation of shaft 3 in one direction or the other will expand or collapse the drum.

A transverse actuating shaft l5 is journaled in the side walls of the housing 2, and this shaft has a worm wheel it attached thereto that meshes with a worm l1 on a longitudinal shaft I8 journaled in the inner and outer walls of the housing. The moving parts of the bead .building head are actuated by the shaft ILE, which is driven by van electric motor i9 through reduction gearing in a housing 2o and a sprocket chain 2| extending to the shaft i8.

The moving parts of the .bead 'building head B are actuated by the shaft l5 and lit lis :desirable that the rotation of this shaft be stopped upon excessive resistance to movement of Yany of these parts. through a slip clutch 22 interposed between the sprocket chain 2l and the shaft I5. The shaft I3 preferably projects through #the youter -wa-ll of the housing 2 and has a squared end 2,3 adapted to receive a hand crank by which the .fsha'ftmay' be turned manually to adjust the moving parts when desired.

The bead ring applying and bead forming instrumentalities of each of the bead building heads are annular members whichengage with the bead .ring and fabric vthrolighout vthe circumference thereof. These .fannular members are coaxial with and surround the shaft 3 and are mounted for axial .movements with respect to the drum. 'An annulus 24 is :carried by axially extending square bars .-25 which, as best shown in Fig. 2 .are slidably mounted in the :housing A2 and .upon .guides l2-6 :at the upper'endsiof posts 21, as shown nFig. -1. Axial movements v.are imparted to the supporting bars 25 yand the annulusf24 by means of connecting .rods .28 that are fpivotally connected to the -bars 25 and to cranks -28 .-on `the ends of .a transverse -shaft 3j) mounted Vin the housing 2 above the .shaft 15,. `The rods ,2.8 :are 'connected to brackets -`3| attached .to fthe tops Vof the .bars l25 :by ibolts 32, the brackets 131 :being provided with -rlanges A3.3 that ,project .inwardly past the yinnersides of the bars 2.5.

As shown .in Fig. ,3, .a .bead ring supporting `annulus B4 is mounted for movement within 'the annulus .2*4 4and Ais provided yalong its rinner edge with .a rabbete'd bead 'ring :seat l35. As shown in Fig.. '2., supporting :brackets SLG attached to the lbead ring .annulus r34 :are slidable lupon `the bars :25 and 7carry rods i3] that extend lalong :the inner sides .of the bar 25 and .slide in :apertures in :the Vflangeslof the Abrackets Si'. Coil springs 3r8vsur- .rounding :the lrods '31 lare interposed lbetween ythe 'brackets I3l :and 36 .and 4.normally vcause the bead supporti-ng annulus to travel zwi-'th `the annulus 24. However, `when the inwardmovement #of the bead supporting annulus is impeded, the springs 3'8 will yield and permitthe annulus 24 to advance beyond Athe annulus f3'4. 1n applying the -bead ring the inward movement `of the annu-lus -34 is stopped when the head ring is pressed against Ian inwardly projecting bead positioning flange 39 on the end of the drum Aand the bead ring -is held vagainst the Vflange 3-9 -With Van increasing pressure as the annulus 24 Ais `advanced over the end -of lthe drum and -the springs 38 yare compressed. The annulus 214 carries ya smoothing ring 4l) in lthe :form of an endless coil spring, which is normally lof a diameter less than that of the drum, 'but which is adapted to be exzpandedto conform to the periphery vof 'the drum zupon movement over vthe drum shoulder. The ring 4i) .supported by a series n.of circumferen- The shaft '|15 is, therefora-driven Y 1upon the bead by the annulus 34.

By the method of the present invention the ends of a fabric band projecting past the ends of the drum are folded radially inwardly simultaneously throughout the circumference of the Vdrum andthe fabric folding device of the present invention is particularly designed to advantageously cooperate with the bead applying mechsanism,

For folding athe :end edges of a band of fabric on the vdrum inwardly over the shoulders of the drum, v,each head iis provided with a contractible endless coil spring folder ring 42 that is adapted Y 5to-.be expanded to a diameter greater than that Lic of the drum, and to be placed over an end portion Aof -^a fabric band that projects beyond the end of the drum and then contracted to fold `,t-lfle fabrdc inwardly over vthe drum shoulder. The

contractble endless coil :spring .ring 42`iis x'carried by axially extending arms T43 that .are irigidly attached :to .the @outer ends Vof radial :bars '4,4 that yare -slidablylmounted'in `radially disposed dovetail slots l'4l-i in lthe .outer face o'f ya 'disk ldii that ris ls'lidably :mounted on the sleeve 4. Suitable means Vis provided for :simultaneously imparting radial outward Vrnoven'xents Yto the :ring

A'supporting arms :413 to expand the ring 42 to a diameter .greater than :that :of fthe :.drum. movement is .accomplished by ymeans of a series of yidentical toggles, .'eachsconsisting of an inner radially disposed link 47! pivoted yto the hube =of Ithe disk 4S 'and an outer radially disposed 'llink 4B fpivoted "to the outer end-of one of -the larms d3. Theltog-gle 411 and 48 yare yconnected -at their outer Aand inner ends, respectively, by piv- .ots '|39 and 50 `.to the linner Iends of Aelongated Y vaxially 'extending .actuating plates 'f5-1, which are Apivotally connected at their Louter :ends to v`a disk 152 Ethat is mounted to slide axially 4u'ponfa sleeve -53 that slides fon the sleeve 4. `The movement of the Ldisk -52 `on -the sleeve i53 vis 'limited by a `collar -54 on the outer lend of ythe sleeve Iand by a flange -55a'ft the inner end of the sleeve. Movement maybe l-irnpar'tedto fthe v*disk 152 by engagement-'of the coll-ar 5d ordiange 55 therewith when fthe sleeve 53 is shifted axially -on the sleeve 4. The disk 4G is moved toward and away fromthe `endof the drum -by'means of axially extending rods "5'6 attached to Ithe disk and extending through the inner and outer walls o'f the housing 2 andpivotally connected to crank arms 51, attached -to a horizontal `shaft l58 mounted in brackets 59 attached to the *outer lwall 'of the 'housing "2. The lsliding sleeve :53 is moved axially on the sleeve d by means of rods lil!) attached -to thecoll'ar 54, "extending `axially through the mfechanism'housing and -pivotaily connected to crank 'arms 61 vattached toa sleeve 462, rotatably mountedon'thesha'ft $8.

The linitial step iin the 'building vof a tire Lconsists inapplyi-ng :a band 'of l'fabric vlcomposed of a .the drum. The projecting ends of the fabric Aare then folded in against the ends of the vdrum by means of the contractible rings 42, after which the bead ring is pressed against the fabric overlying the flange 39 of the drum, and is `64 rotatably mounted on the shaft 30 through connecting rods 65 and 66, the cams 63'and 64 being actuated from the shaft I5 through large Geneva gears 61 and 68 attached to the shaft I5 and small Geneva gears 69 and 10 attached to the cams.

As fully described in the parent application above referred to, the device of the present application is associated with a mechanism for folding the fabric about the bead ring and a mechanism for applying tread stock to a tire carcass on the drum as Well as with the head applying mechanism above referred to. The mechanism for folding the fabric about a bead ring is indicated generally by the reference character G and the tread applying mechanism is indicated generally by the reference character H. The mechanism of the present invention is held in retracted contracted position shown in Fig. I during the operation of the fabric folding mechanism G and tread applying mechanism H.

The bead applying and fabric folding mechanisms are operated in the proper timedrelation by the shaft I5 driven by the motor I9 which is controlled by a starting switch 12 and a suitable limit switch 13 which is engaged by suitable lugs 14 on a disk 15 attached to the shaft I5. The motor 8 is controlled to drive the drum A forwardly or rearwardly to facilitate application of the carcass fabric and tread stock by means of suitable pedals 16 and 11 at the front of the machine.

At the stage in the cycle of operations shown in Fig. 5, a fabric band D consisting of a plurality of plies of fabric has been applied to the periphery of the drum A, the band D being of a width to project a substantial distance beyond the ends of the drum, and a bead ring E with an attached flipper strip F has been mounted upon the seat 35 of the bead applying annulus 34. The disk 46 has been positioned between the annulus 34 and the end of the drum and the fabric folding ring 42 has been expanded from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 to the position shown in full lines, the expansion of the ring 42 having been effected by movement of the sleeve 53 and disk 52 from the dotted line position to the full line position in Fig. 5.

After the ring 42 has been expanded as shown in Fig. 5, the disk 46 is moved inwardly toward the drum A by means of the rods 56, to the position shown in Fig. 6. The sleeve 53 is held stationary in the position shown in Fig. 5 during the inward movement of the disk 46, and the disk 52 slides inwardly on the sleeve 53 to a position adjacent the flange 55 when the ring 42 is brought to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The sleeve 53 is then moved outwardly to engage the flange 55 with the disk 52 and pull the links 41 and 48 of the toggle out of alignment so that the tension of the spring ring 42 snaps the ring to its contracted position shown in full lines in Fig. 6, moving the arms 43 radially inwardly, swinging the links 41 and 48 outwardly, and moving the disk 52 outwardly to- 6 ward the collar 54 on the sleeve 53. The ring 42 is thus caused to snap inwardly against the exterior of the edge portion of the fabric band D, engaging the band simultaneously throughout the circumference thereof and folding the fabric inwardly over the end of the drum. It should be noted that in folding the fabric over the end of the drum, the engagement of the folding ring 42 with the fabric is entirely beyond` the end of the drum, so that there is no pressure exerted through the fabric against the drum shoulder.

When the edge portion of a cylindrical band of fabric is forced inwardly to form an inwardly extending flange, the fabric must Wrinkle or shrink to compensate for the reduction in circumference. By engaging the fabric beyond the end of the drum simultaneously throughout Aits circumference within a uniformly contracting ring such as the ring 42, stresses are set up in the fabric tending to crowd the cords of the fabric together and the fabric overlying the drum shoulder and flange is free to uniformly accommodate and adjust itself to its contracted form so that wrinkling of the fabric overlying the bead positioning flange is avoided.

While the folding ring 42 remains in the position shown in Fig. 6 engaging the fabric flange and holding it against outward movement the connecting rods 28 are actuated to slide the bars 25 and annulus 24 axially toward the end of the drum. The bead carrying annulus 34 moves with the annulus 2d until the bead ring E is brought into engagement with the fabric overlying the flange 39 of the drum, whereupon the movement of the annulus 34 is stopped and the bead ring E is pressed against the fabric. Continued movement of the annulus 24 compresses the spring- 38 and applies increasing pressure to the bead ring E.

As the ring 24 moves over the periphery of the drum the spring ring 40 is dragged'over a flipper strip F attached to the bead ring E and presses the same against the fabric band D lying on the drum shoulder and upon the periphery of the drum adjacent the shoulder. After the flipper strip has been stitched down upon the fabric the annulus 24 is retracted and carries with it the bead applying annulus 34 to the position shown in Fig. 1.

In the retracted position the fabric folding mechanism of the present invention is spaced sullciently from the end of the drum to permit actuation of the fabric folding mechanism G and being contracted to its smallest external diameter does not interfere with the tread applying mechanism H.

It is to be understood that .variations and modifications of the speciilc devices herein shown and described for purposes of illustration, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. The herein described method of forming a fabric flange on a rubber coated fabric band carried by a tire building drum that comprises positioning the band on the drum with an end thereof projecting past an end of the drum, stretching an elastic band to a size larger than the fabric band, positioning said elastic band around the projecting end of said band, and releasing the stretched band to cause it to snap into engagement with the edge of the fabric band beyond the end of the drum to simultaneously bend all portions of the fabric throughout the 

